Arkansas Moves LSU Football Game To Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football fans, especially those in central Arkansas, had grown accustomed to watching the Razorbacks and LSU play in War Memorial Stadium to end the regular season every other year.

But the location is changing for 2012.

Arkansas released its finalized scheduled Friday morning, confirming it will play LSU in Fayetteville to end the regular season. The move signals the Tigers' first trip to play in Razorback Stadium since 1992 and the end of the Razorbacks' Thanksgiving-weekend appearance in War Memorial Stadium.

Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long believes moving the game will benefit the program in a number of ways. The most important of which, he said, was making sure Arkansas didn't have to go on the road to play its final three games of the regular season at South Carolina (Nov. 10), at Mississippi State (Nov. 17) and then in Little Rock.

"I want fans to understand a couple of things," Long said. "One is, we truly do look at the schedule each year and decide which two games are going to Little Rock. This year, we looked at it with (Arkansas) coach (Bobby) Petrino and the way the schedule laid out, it really makes a lot of sense to play the LSU game in Fayetteville."

Those aren't the only reasons listed by Long.

He also said the chance to get recruits on campus for a late-season marquee game is important for the program. Long also said playing the game in Fayetteville will allow roughly 20,000 more fans to attend.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, in a statement, echoed Long's comments that moving the game for the 2012 season is important for the Hogs.

"I've always enjoyed the atmosphere our fans have created and their willingness to support what is necessary to give our team the best opportunity to succeed," Petrino said. "Due to our November schedule this year, it is to our advantage to play LSU on campus."

The Razorbacks still will play two games in Little Rock in 2012 as part of the contract with the War Memorial Stadium Commission.

Louisiana-Monroe will be the nonconference opponent Sept. 8. Ole Miss, which hasn't played in Little Rock since 1992, replaces LSU as the Southeastern Conference foe in War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 27.

Arkansas has played nine different SEC opponents in Little Rock since joining the SEC in 1992. Long said Friday the program evaluates which games will be played in the stadium before every season.

He also stressed that moving the LSU game to Fayetteville for 2012 does not mean the game has found a new permanent location.

"This does not mean we're always going to play LSU in Fayetteville," Long said. "We looked at the schedule and this year it makes sense.

"In future years it may make sense for LSU to be in Little Rock again. It may make sense for LSU to be in Fayetteville again. People shouldn't read any more into it than that."

The location of the Arkansas-LSU game wasn't the only news regarding the schedule when it was released Friday. In addition:

* Long also said it's very likely the location of the Arkansas-Texas A&M series — which is listed as "to be determined" by the Razorbacks — will be on campus for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The Razorbacks have voiced support for keeping it in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as a neutral site conference game, but Long said it's not likely.

He is hoping the series will return to Arlington in the future, though.

"I think there's a strong possibility we take a short break from Dallas," Long said. "But again, from my standpoint, I'd like to start back up in Cowboys Stadium. That's probably where we're headed."

* Arkansas and Rutgers reached an agreement to play a home-and-home series in 2012 and 2013, completing the Razorbacks' long process in locking up its fourth and final nonconference opponent. The schools will play for the first time in Razorback Stadium on Sept. 22, while Arkansas will travel to Piscataway, N.J. to play on Sept. 21, 2013.

"It was really important for us to get a BCS nonconference game," said Long, who previously said he had spoken with more than 30 programs about a nonconference game for 2012. "Rutgers does that for us out of the Big East. It's kind of interesting and exciting."

Arkansas' contract with the War Memorial Stadium runs through the 2016 season. The program will be in talks with the commission regarding Arkansas' future there, but Long said those negotiations won't take place until much closer to the end of the contract.

Long said he hadn't heard much feedback from supporters as of Friday afternoon, but expected some disappointment with the LSU game moving out of Little Rock. He said the Razorbacks, despite moving the LSU game, understand how vital central Arkansas is to the program.

"One thing our fans should see is we're a much stronger program when we're unified," Long said. "We've got fans from all over the state cheering and rooting for the Razorbacks. I hope they continue to do so. Without their support we cannot be successful in this conference.

"So central Arkansas and the rest of the state is very important."

At A Glance

2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time/Result (TV)

April 21 Red-White Game Fayetteville TBA

Sept. 1 Jacksonville State Fayetteville TBA

Sept. 8 Louisiana-Monroe Little Rock^ TBA

Sept. 15 Alabama* Fayetteville TBA

Sept. 22 Rutgers Fayetteville TBA

Sept. 29 Texas A&M* TBA TBA

Oct. 6 Auburn* Auburn, Ala. TBA

Oct. 13 Kentucky* Fayetteville TBA

Oct. 27 Ole Miss* Little Rock^ TBA

Nov. 3 Tulsa Fayetteville TBA

Nov. 10 South Carolina* Columbia, S.C. TBA

Nov. 17 Mississippi State* Starkville, Miss. TBA

Nov. 24 LSU* Fayetteville TBA

*Southeastern Conference game

^War Memorial Stadium

At A Glance

LSU vs. Arkansas

LEADER: LSU leads series 35-20-2 (11-8 since Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference in 1992).

IN BATON ROUGE, LA.: LSU leads 10-2-1, with six straight wins between 1995-2005.

IN FAYETTEVILLE: The Razorbacks won 30-6 in 1992 in the only on-campus meeting in Arkansas.

IN LITTLE ROCK: LSU leads 8-7 but has lost two straight and five of the last seven meetings since 1998 after winning four in a row (1953, 55, 94, 96).

IN SHREVEPORT, LA.: LSU leads 16-9. Series played there between 1913-36, 1954 and 1956. LSU won final games there.

THE COTTON BOWL: LSU leads 1-0-1 after the Tigers and quarterback Y.A. Tittle settled for a scoreless tie in 1947's "Ice Bowl" before LSU won the 1966 game 14-7, handing Arkansas its only loss of the season.